Land measuring instrument



June 28, 1938.l E. s. GAND'RUD LAND MEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 20,1936- 4 Sheets-Sheet l l June 28, 1938. E. s. GANDRUD v LAND MEASURINGINSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 20, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 28, 1938. E, QGANDRUD y 2,121,867

LAND MEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 20, 195e 4 sheets-sheet :5

June 28, 1938. Ars. s. GANDRUD 2,121,867

LAND NEASURING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 2o, 193e 4 sheets-sheet 4 i 741 MMPatented June 28, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i Ebenhard S.Gandrud, Pipestone, Minn.

Application August 20, 1936, Serial No. 96,977 l 5 claims. (c1. 33 141)v Fig. 7 is a detail with some paits sectioned on My present inventionprovides an extremely simple and highly efiicient low cost land measuruing or surveying instrument. Generally stated, theinvention consists ofthe novel devices, combinations ofdevices and arrangement of partshereinafter described vand defined in the claims. More specificallystated, my invention, 'in its preferred form, involves a measuringwheel,.a fregister of the-rotationsrthereof, a transit, and a handle baror device that serves as a handle for running the wheel over the groundand as a staff for n supporting the transit. These severalinstrumentalities are combined in such a way that the instrument may,without addition or substitution of parts or.- readjustments the one inrespect to the other, be used at will for thelineal measuring of theland or for the ordinary work performed bythe use 'of a surveyorstransit.

'I'he instrument is accurate enough for ordinaryY purposes, and will befound very generally useful for the quick and substantially correctmeasur.

- ing and surveying of-land.

" The measuring wheel may be made invarious sizes, but for generalpurposes, will have a circumference of siXteenand one-half feet oronerod, which is the customary dimension of measurementused in landlsurveying.Y For some purposes, the wheel `may be maderas an integral or,non-folding member; but ras an additional'feature. v .fof novelty, thewheel maybe made foldable so that it will occupy a less space inshipmentror storage. Commercial forms ofthe device are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings `wherein like char` acters indicate like partsthroughout the several views. Y

Referring tothe drawings:

, Fig. lis a right side elevation showing the cornplete measuringinstrument;` v `Fig.2 is a detail in sectionron the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary viewshowing a hinge joint found in the vicinityof the line markedii-B onFig. 1; t

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectionon the lined-4 of Fig. 1;V j

Figi 5,isa planview vof vthe parts shown in Fig.' 1,'except that theheadof the transit has been removed :from'the combined staff Vand oper-rating handle; l n v l j f Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 ofFig. 1, some parts being broken/away and the l Y, parts `beingsh'ownon"a\1arger"scale than in' f5 the line 'l--l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a left side elevation of the Wheel'hub and immediatelyVassociated parts, some (parts being broken away;

Fig.- 9 is a View corresponding to Fig. 8, but

with the. Wheel spokes and various other parts Fig. 11 is a fragmentaryView in side elevationshowing the wheel spokes separated from. the wheelhub and disconnected, the one from the other;

Fig. 12 is an elevation showing the instrument as it will appearV whenthe combined staff, and operating handle is set vertically so as topresent the transit for use;

Fig. 13 is a plan View of the transit; Y

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section taken on th line llli4 of Fig. 13;

' Fig.,15 is a fragmentary view illustrating the modification of thewheel hub and spokes;

Fig. 16 is ajfragmentary view showing. the rim and spoke structure ofthe modification illus- T trated in Fig. 15; Y,

Figi 17 is a transverse section taken online I'l-ll of Fig. 15;l and.Fig 18 Aillustrates a stillfurther modification of the wheel hub. f

In the structure illustrated in Figs.

wheel is shown as provided with four spokes. 26 v that are offset 'fromlines'radiating from the axis ofthe wheel and are brought together in anoffset rectangular arrangement, and these offset inner ends are rigidlybut detachably secured to the projecting flange 21 of the wheel'hubV28.,A The flange 21as shown, has fourprojecting arms; but

l of course the structure Vmay be varied.v -The wheel rim sections 2land spokes 26 are preferably steel tubes. The spokes k26 attheir innertheV Y 1 to 14, Y inclusive, the wheel is arrangedto be folded intoends, see particularlyFig, 11, are provided with projectinglugs 29through which and the hub Vflange 21 nut-equipped bolts, 3 are app1ied.

The wheel hub 28 is shown as directly journaled on a tubular spindle 3lwhich, by a nutequipped bolt 32, see particularly Fig. 10, is rigidlyclamped to a bar 33 that isV supported as presently to be described. Aflange 21 of the wheel hub is shown as providedV with an annular flange34 that aords a weed guard for a counter` star wheel which is positionedwithin said weed guard, see particularly Fig. 10. This counter may be,and preferably is, of the well; known type used in connection withbicycles, and for the purpose of this case, it is only desirable todesignate the counter casing 35 and its star wheel 36. The casing 35 hasa ange 3'! that is rigidly clamp-ed to the bar 33 by the nut of the bolt32.

For operating the star Wheel and through the mechanism, recording eachrotation of the measuring wheel, the wheel carries a tappet. VThistappet, as shown, is in the form of a stud or linger 38, Vsee Figs. 9and 10', carried. by a small sleeve 39 that is mounted for radialadjustments on a rod 55, the ends of which. arev secured to the wheelhub and to its flange 34.

Directing attention now particularly to Figs.. 5, 6,. 7 andV 12, itwill. .be noted. that the bar 33 which acts as. a bridge. bar is rigidlybut detachably` secured. to the. yoke-like. projection M of a stai orrod; i2 Vthat servesv as a combined staff for the transit and anoperating'hamdle for the measuring wheel. As shown, this4 bar 53 has ashort open slot. i3 in one end and a long open slot d at. its. other endand that nutequipped bolts 4,5 are. passed. through. the yoke 5I andthrough the said slots 43 and e4.. With this arrangement to remove thebar 33 from the yoke 4H, itis only necessary, after loosening thenutequipped bolts 32, to move" the. bar .downward in respect to Fig; '7far enoughto Vdisconnect the upper end of the bar from the upper bolt,and then to withdraw the bar from the lower bolt, this being donewithout entireLy, removing the nuts from the bolts;

Thev rod vor staff d2 isv provided'withv a long lateral projecting arm4E located outward. of the rim. of the wheel. The lower end of. thestaif @il is preferablysharpened so that it may be easily forced intothe ground. VThe staff.V is also provided with a secondaryv or shorterarm 51 that projects in an angle to the arm 45 so that when the stai i'sforced into the ground far .enough to engage the arms 46 and l? with theground, the staff: will. be heldin a vertical position, provided ofcourse that the ground is level. The staff 42 and arms Q6 and @l likethe rim and spokes of the wheel are preferably made from, steel tubes.

The transit head is made up of a dial 48 with a. Vernier scale, and aVsighting bar 49 pivoted to the axis of the dial at 50. As preferablydesigned, this bar 49 has upturned ends 5| and V52 formed with sightingslots, Vrespectively 53 Y and 54.

fit similar threads on the end of the stub armv di. When the transit' isto be used, it will be applied to the upper end of the staff when thelower end of the latter is forced into the ground;

but when out of use, it may be, and at certain times will be, applied tothe stub arm 6l.

Figs. 15, 16 and 17 show hub and rim portions of. a wheel that willoperate like-the wheel al- Y iai-easy described, but which will f oidonly into Amovement on the hinges 24 and 25.

semi-circular arrangement. This wheel has three spokes 53, the innerends of which are Vrigidly secured to the flange 21a of a wheel hub 28uand has a fourth spoke 51, the inner end 5'!a of which is hinged to anear 58 on the hub flange 21a. The hinged spoke 5l is adapted to-'berigidly locked to the flange plate 27a by a nut-Y equipped eye bolt 59,see Figs. 15 and 17. The wheel'hub 2Ba is adapted to be mounted in thesame manneras the previously described wheel. Also, as shown in Fig..15, the hub flange 2la is provided with an annular weed guard 34a. Therim of this two-section wheel is made .up of semi-circular rim sections2|a that are connected at diametrically opposite points by hinge lugs50, see Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 shows the hub of the measuring wheel which will have an integralor continuous rigid rim supported by spokes 5l that are rigidly securedto the flange 62 of a hub 63, and which hub is adapted to be supportedin the, same manner as the Wheels previously described.

rFne use and operation of the surveying instrument is probably obviousfromy the foregoing statements, but may be briefly summarized asfollows: The surveyor or operator Walking along Y the line to bemeasured pushes the wheel ahead of him, and this wheel under the groundfrition, due to its weight, will register. one rod for eachrotation ofthe wheel and which, of course, represents one rod of travel of theoperator. The wheel is adapted to travel through high grass, weeds, andover roughageV without slippage, and hence, accurately record each .rodof travel.. Obviously, if. the Wheel were made in other dimensions thanfor rod measurement, it would record the' unit of travel Yrepresented bya revolution of the particular wheel.

The weed guard or hub flange 34 prevents high grass or weeds fromgetting tangled up with the star wheel 35 and tappet 38. When thetransit.

is to be'used, the staifis, as Valready stated, forced into the groundand set in a vertical position so that the dial 38 will be level, orapproximately level, and then the sighting bar 49 may be used in themanner well-known to surveyors. The above statements as to operationapply to all of the several forms of the wheel illustrated. Also,in allof the Wheel structuresV illustrated. the wheel may be readilyAdisconnected from the staff or bar 2 simply by disconnecting the bridgebar 33.

'Ihe four-section wheel illustrated in Figs. 1 to 14, inclusive, may bereadily folded into a quadrantal assembly, as follows: The four bolts30`are first removed which disconnects the inner ends of the wheelVspokes from- -the wheel hub flange. Then the wheel will be folded intosemicircular formation by folding of the wheel rim on the hinges 22V and23. This turns the hinge 25 upside down or places the same on the same.side of the semi-circular assembly 4so'that the wheel may then be foldedinto quadrantal form by The wheel thus disassembled will, of course,occupy a very small space as compared with the total diameter of thewheel.

The modified wheel illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16 is adaptedV to befolded only into semi-circular formation. To accomplish this folding, itis only necessary tc remove the nut of the clamping eye bolt 59, therebyreleasing the spoke 5l from Vthe hub ange 21a so that the .Wheel canthen be folded on the hinges lill. YI-lere it will be noted that one ofthe lspokes is approximately ,Y connection between the hingelug 58 andthe end portion 5l8L of the spoke 51, which arrangement permits'the freefolding of the Wheel into segmental formation.

' Of course, the rigid Wheel structure illustrated in Fig. 18 is notcapable of folding, and hence, the Wheel always remains at its fullsize. f'

What I claim is: i

1. In an instrument of the kind described, a stai` having a laterallyoffset yoke, a bar rigidly but detachably secured to said yoke, aspindle secured to said yoke, a ground engaging VWheel journaled to saidspindle, a register supported by saidl bar, said Wheel having a tappetfor operating said register to indicate the distance travelled by theWheel, said wheel being directly journaled to said bar and said barbeing rigidly but detachably securedto said yoke.

y2. In a `land-measuring instrument, a groundengaging wheel comprising ahub, rim and spokes, said rim being made up of a plurality of hingedlyconnected sections, certain of said spokes being detachable from saidhub and movable with the respective rim sections, whereby said Wheel maybe folded into compact segmental sive with a rim segment.

3. In a land-measuring instrument, a ground-r engaging Wheel comprisinga Y hub, rim and spokes, said rim involving four segments hingedlyconnected, thev said spokes being four in number,

one rigidly connected to each of said rim seg-- ments, and at leastthree of said spokes being detachable from said hub, the said wheelthereby being capableV of being, folded into compactsegmentalform.within a segment approximately co.. t

tachable from said hub.

5. 'I'he structure defined in claim 3 in which said wheel has fourspokes connected to said hub in overlapping arrangement tangentially toan imaginary circle struck from the axis of the hub, at least three ofsaid spokes being detachable :from said hub. v

EBEN HARD S. GANDRUD.

form Within a segment approximately co'exten-VV

